why would Bush predict 2 million new jobs? don't make promises you can't keep unless they're scheduled to appear after the election. not exactly a sign of shrewd politics or am i missing something?
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The Bush admin approach, to nearly everything it seems, is to make outrageous statements in the hope they lodge within the public mind, then backpeddle somewhat when caught.
It's crude but effective and receives a significant boost from the legion of "conservative" commentators, radio personalities and pundits who parrot the admin's line with religous fervor. Of course, the lazy and venal corporate press is quite a help too.
When the 2 million new jobs claim was made, you can bet it was touted as a marvelous 'fact' by pro-Bush on-air personalities from sea to dying sea. The retraction which inevitably followed was whispered if spoken aloud at all. With the idea in the air, millions who're too busy, partisan or, let's face it, boneheaded to verify the prediction's strength carry the idea in their heads that 2 million new jobs are on the way.
Obviously millions are not fooled but it seems Karl Rove probably doesn't worry too much about them.
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Another factor is the demonstrated un-professionalism of the Bush group. Because we spend so much time dissecting the legion of crimes committed by government and business we often forget some gangsters are sharp while others are merely sloppy, well armed, ruthless idiots. A sharp gangster might bribe the cops. A ruthless idiot will try to shoot it out, believing himself sufficiently bad-ass enough to somehow win.
The Bush administration appears to be hobbled in many ways by a lack of finesse and awareness of how the world actually works - one of the differences between the father's brand of gangsterism and Dubya's.
Donald Rumsfeld for example reminds me of every not-half-as-smart-as-he-thinks-he-is exec I've ever met. His inflated ego and stupidity prevents him from advocating and practicing a more measured sort of imperialism. Other Bush cabinet members suffer from similar brain disorders. I've witnessed corporations make disastrous moves for their bottom lines due to the stupidity of chief execs. What does "stupid" mean in this context? Of course, it doesn't mean they can't speak and write effectively or pick the right wine at dinner; it means your actions and beliefs are not in accord with facts -- you're resistant to knowledge. As a result, even you evil-doings are done un-intelligently.
As someone on the list recently wrote, "character does make a difference" even in the case of imperialism.
So, returning to the 2 million jobs claim, it may have been a calculated risk, an attempt to spread a mind virus. Or, it simply might have been another example of sloppiness.
DRM